We chat with Elise Terranova, the 2high Festival 2009 Engagement Coordinator, about the festival and particularly about what they did for Brisbane PARK(ing) Day! Elise is also a commercial interior designer working for Jackson Architecture and an artist on the side.
Tell us about your role as the Engagement Coordinator...
The Engagement coordinator role is new for 2high Festival, so it is ever evolving, which has been a really exciting process. It encompasses site design which needs to reflect our vision, flavour, feel and amazing branding by Zero Hour. I am also working on an new event called
Fast Art as a component of our new
Mega Mix which is all about creating opportunity for collaboration and creative partnership. It is on the website so check it out and
sign up!
What brought you to working in this festival from the field of interior design?
Design is all about problem solving. The puzzle is how to create a youth arts fesitval with soul and to communicate the months of visioning and planning into an event that it resonates within. It is also effectively a 9 month part time internship program with mentorship and a fantastic opportunity for any emerging cultural producer or practitioner. I jumped at the opportunity!
Initially I was also attracted to it because of the large site design component and the melting pot of enthusiasm and energy that I knew would be found in the other coordinators.
How the process of organising the Brisbane PARKing Day spot?
Signing on for Parking day was the easy bit! The trickiest thing about organising a park is keeping within the parking guideline of BCC. I already had an idea of what I wanted our park to look like and luckily also had collection of materials and props perfect for the bill. We had a great sponsor for the event 'FORBO Flooring Systems' that provided the linoleum for our park.
We created a kitcshy vintage siting area on the street to create a cultural (car)park and to generate excitement about the Festival.
Brianna Carpenter played a live acoustic set at our park as a musical preview.
Your favourite moment(s) during Brisbane PARK(ing) Day?
This sounds terrible but I missed most of the day! I organised and set up the day and then left it with the otherr coordinators, who worked in shifts over the day.
Looking through the photos was great to see interaction with public, and hearing that the other coordinators had a blast made my day!
Of the festival planning, I have had a blast with the other coordinators. Working in a team like this is stressful but more fun than I could ever have imagined. Humour prevails!
Any surprises from the general public on the festival actual days?
The Mega Mix programme is full of surprises! The partnership between
Robert Millet and
Cynthia Howard is very inspiring and we are very excited about the developing outcomes. They have been regularly blogging on the website and their artwork from the collaboration for 2high will only be revealed at the event. The lineup will be announced soon, but their will be on the day special events, so keep an eye out.
As attendees, what can we expect during the festival days?
Thanks Elise!
Definite must-read's! Interview // Alanna Hankey {2high Festival} {Brisbane Festival}, Alison St Ledger {2high Festival Mentor} {Music}, 2high Festival Artists // {Music} {Exhibitions} {Performance}
If you loved this, make sure to check out: Creative Industries and regional SE Queensland with Sarah Keating (interview), The Future of Digital Art with Jaymis Loveday (interview), Creative Industries Networks (slideshow), Creativity and Entrepreneurship (Michael Doneman and Edgeware) - The Hive talk, How to be proactive in events (guide), For students: Help out the Brisbane creative industries (article), Enage Me Presentation, Brisbane eGallery Special // No Walls, Under the Radar Forum at Metro Arts, Interview // Behind the Scenes with #BNETwestival
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 9:15AM 
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